Carmen Electra is looking back on Prince with enough distance to hear affection even in one of his sharpest breakup songs.
The actress and model reflected on her relationship with the late music icon in a new Entertainment Weekly interview tied to her return to Scary Movie.
Electra said she still loves Prince’s 1995 song “I Hate U,” even though she believes the track was written about her after their romance ended.
“I Hate U” may sound like a diss track from the title alone, but Electra said she hears something more complicated in it now.
Electra Said the Song Still Feels Like Love
Electra told Entertainment Weekly that “everyone knows” the song was written about her.
“I remember all the good times,” she said. “We went through definitely some hard times together, but now I hear all the music, even the song that was written about me that everyone knows is written about me, called ‘I Hate U.’”
She said the song still sounds emotional to her because she hears Prince expressing pain, not just anger.
“That’s a love song,” Electra told the outlet. “Even though the title is what it is, it’s a love song.”
Prince Helped Create Carmen Electra
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Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick, but Prince helped give her the name that made her famous.
People reported that Electra recalled watching the 1954 film Carmen Jones with Prince after he discovered her. He told her she looked more like a Carmen than a Tara.
The “Electra” part came from her dancing. Entertainment Weekly reported that Prince used the name while preparing her self-titled 1993 debut album, which he executive produced and released through Paisley Park.
Electra said Prince kept their relationship private because he did not want people to think she received a record deal only because they were dating.
She Remembered One of Their Final Conversations
Electra also recently spoke about one of her last private conversations with Prince during an appearance on the Legally Goff podcast.
People reported that Electra said Prince told her she would become a “Marilyn Monroe type,” even though she did not yet see herself as an actress or Playboy figure.
Looking back, Electra said the comment felt almost psychic. She later built a career in acting, modeling and pop culture, and she told People her Playboy cover history made the comparison feel strangely accurate.
Electra also said she ended the romantic relationship after learning Prince had been dating other women. “I was so young and so naïve to think that Prince would be with only one person, but I believed him,” she told the podcast, according to People.
The Memories Come as Electra Returns to Scary Movie
Electra’s latest Prince reflections came as she promotes her cameo in the new Scary Movie. Entertainment Weekly reported that the appearance marks her third time in the horror parody franchise.
She first appeared in the 2000 original and returned in Scary Movie 4 in 2006. Electra told Entertainment Weekly that returning to the franchise was “so much fun” and reminded her most of the first movie.
People reported that Electra also has a documentary and book about her life in the works. She said she is happiest when she is working and described herself as being in a good place.